A Chance to Say Goodbye
by Madam Sakamoto
Summary: But what sort of captain would he be, if he did not say farewell to his most faithful lieutenant? - gently Haldir/OC - Pre-Helm's Deep -
1. A Chance to Say Goodbye

_I've been playing Lego LotR a lot lately, and this plot bunny dived out of the bushes at me and viciously attacked one night. I was playing as Haldir at the time, and was therefore powerless to stop it from biting me and infecting me with the writing bug. So here, I have finally rid the virus from my system by finishing off this little bit of fluff. I feel much better for it._

* * *

He had known long before the others that he would have to leave in order to help the fellowship of travelers in their fight, but he had allowed himself to believe that perhaps the call would not come, and he would be allowed to linger on in Lothlórien a little longer… But that was the downfall of all who dreamed of impossible things, when those dreams were shattered, the fall from hope was always a terrible one.

Haldir walked more slowly along the flets than usual, his pace a reflection of his heavy thoughts and incurable worries. Lothlórien was his home, and as Marchwarden, he had always believed he would see out all his long years beneath its golden boughs. But reinforcements were required, and if he did not lead the men, then who would?

His mind stilled as he reached the bottom of a flight of stairs he knew all too well, their surface worn slightly from many trips made up and down their length, and his eyes traveled up along their winding stretch; higher into the trees. He knew who stood at the flet at the top, keen eyes trained out over the woods towards the north, knew too well the reaction he would receive when he informed them of his new orders. He knew he would likely see her cry for the first time this night.

But what sort of captain would he be, if he did not say farewell to his most faithful lieutenant?

Haldir scaled the steps quickly, shaking off his misgivings and putting on a smile for the woman who waited at the top of his climb. It would not do to have her worrying while he was away, not when she would be taking his place if anything… untoward happened. He paused once he had reached the topmost stair, straightening his back and catching his breath for a moment before he spoke. "_Mae govannen,_ Tinuviel."

She turned at the greeting, and her eyes flashed in the light from the setting sun. Even after all this time, with the girl working by his side and becoming part of his company, he had never quite grown accustomed to the way she looked. She had the elegantly formed features of all their kin, the high cheekbones and gracefully pointed ears, but her hair was twice as bright as the others in his company, more silver than gold, and her soft silver eyes told stories of her heritage. It had been some time since a Grey Elf, an Elf of the Twilight, had lived here under the golden boughs of Lórien. "_Mae govannen_." She returned with a bowed head, the twitch in her lips betraying how pleased she was to see him.

"All is well in our wood, I take it?" He asked softly, taking the few short steps it required to put him by her side, his gaze only glancing at the view from her flet before it returned to her eyes, the irises still glowing brightly in the dwindling light.

"As it often is, Marchwarden," she smiled up at him then, and he felt his heart sink at the thought that he would have to ruin her contentment with the news he carried, "but I do not think that is why you are here… What can your lieutenant do for you, Haldir?"

Rarely did she speak his name, but when she did it was spoken with the utmost respect, as though she knew how it affected him to hear her say it. "I have news I must impart, Tinuviel, and I apologize for the discomfort it will likely cause you."

She tipped her head to one side, her eyes narrowing as they looked him over closely. "If you are referring to the company of Elves you must lead to Helm's Deep, I am aware of your orders. I was told not two hours ago what was to happen."

He lost the battle with his resolve, and his gaze drifted onto the floor beneath him, a few stray leaves littering the otherwise pristine surface. "That is not the news of which I speak." He took in a quick breath, raising his gaze once again to her face and taking in the concern he saw there. "You must remain behind, Tinuviel. You will not be accompanying us in this journey."

Her eyes widened marginally, and her lips parted in surprise. "But I am your lieutenant," she breathed out in a defensive tone, "I am as capable with a bow as any of your other men, perhaps more so, why can I not…?" She stopped when his hand landed lightly on her shoulder, grounding her in the present.

"You are more skilled than many of the men I will be taking with me," he assured her with a faint smile, "but you cannot be a part of this. You must remain here and watch our home for me while I am gone." He paused, watching her features change and contort as this information was processed, and just as she opened her mouth to protest, he continued. "You are the only one I trust to do this, Tinuviel."

Her argument died on her lips as she stared up at him, the surprise evident in her silver eyes. "I would rather fight by your side than be entrusted with all the treasures of our people," she replied softly, "you know that, Haldir… You have known it for quite some time."

He did know, all too well, the devotion she had for him. She was a capable fighter, better indeed than a few of his other lieutenants, but he would not take her into battle if he could avoid it. "And you know I will not put you in the path of harm." The hand on her shoulder gave a swift squeeze against the fabric of her cloak before it relaxed again. "I will not see you fade."

That earned him a faint smile, barely more than an upward twitch at the corners of her mouth, but the expression was appreciated all the same. "You will never have the chance if you leave me here to worry away the time before your return."

He chuckled, shaking his head at her stubbornness, a trait he had never gotten used to, despite how long he had known her. "And yet I prefer that to the alternative."

"There would be no alternative." She replied quickly. "Do not even think of such things… I could not bear to lose you." As soon as the confession had left her lips, she looked embarrassed, an emotion not often seen on any Elf, but especially not her. "You are my captain, Haldir," she continued softly, "and I would rather fade into the night with you by my side than alone."

Haldir moved his hand from her shoulder to the side of her face, his knuckles lightly brushing against her cheekbone as he took a half-step closer, bringing them almost flush together. "Then I will try my utmost not to disappoint you." He promised softly, offering her a gentle smile. "I would not wish to know that my nightingale was singing songs of woe."

She laughed at that, a bright, clear sound, and looked up into his eyes. "She will sing you songs of joy for as long as you like, if you would but return home to her in one piece."

He pressed his forehead to hers gently, letting his eyes slip closed as he breathed in the air that surrounded her. It was a mixture of the warm air that always surrounded the trees in Lórien, with a hint of something that was strictly her. Something that reminded him of lemongrass and ginger, a spicy smell that was reminiscent of her personality. "I will do my best." He promised softly, unable to tell her with any certainty that he would, in fact, come home in one piece.

"That is all that I ask." She replied in a whisper, her hand landing lightly against his chest, directly over his heart. "_Quel fara_."

He smiled faintly, letting his right hand land once again against her shoulder, the other coming up to gently hold the hand against his chest. His next movements were driven by instinct, something he was only used to in battle, and as he lightly pressed his lips to her forehead, he felt her hand in his clench against his chest. "_Namaarie_, Tinuviel."

He let go quickly, willing his mind into a more appropriate gear for action, and slipped quickly back down the stairs. He would return, he would see her again, and most importantly, he would once more hear his nightingale sing.

* * *

_I was always horribly depressed that Haldir died, I actually cried the first time I saw the movie and that happened, because I really liked him (tiny role or otherwise!). So, after re-watching the movies recently, this made me feel much better about life in general. XD_

_Also! For those of you who really know the fandom, the name Tinuviel was given to Luthien by Beren when he heard her singing, and it means Nightingale, but it can be used as a name by itself, which I have done here.  
_

* * *

"_Mae govannen_" means _"Well met"._

_"Quel fara" _means _"Good hunting"._

_"Namaarie"_ means _"Farewell"._

* * *

Lord of the Rings and its related characters _belong to__:_ J.R.R. Tolkien_  
_

Tinuviel _belongs to: _Madam Sakamoto (aka Me)

_The song_ "A Chance to Say Goodbye" _belongs to: _Children 18:3


	2. You Know We're All So Fond of Dying

_This just needed to happen, okay?_

* * *

He was bruised, he was bleeding, he had no air in his lungs. The world spun in a dizzying whirl of sound and sensation and he tried to focus on one point long enough to make everything just _stop_. He could smell death and despair around him, thick and oppressive as it closed in its ranks around him and crushed the already scant air from his lungs. Bright blossoms of blinding white light began to scatter across his vision, adding to the chaos and thundering pain in his head. He could hear the clanging of metal as swords collided and shields were broken, could hear the screams of his men and the cheers from the enemy, could feel blood that wasn't his sliding sickly, sticky wet against his exposed skin.

He would die here, he realized, amid the putrefaction and the rot, left to die by those that thought him lost already, or those that wished him to be. He tried to call out, to make his last vestiges of breath _worth something_, but words failed him and his body began to grow cold. Death gripped him with talon-like claws and carried him deeper into the dark and the silence, deeper into the earth and further from the sky, further from the nightingales that sung to sweetly in the twilight…

What he first noticed when consciousness returned to him was the scent of earth and water and _growth_. He could smell the colors on the air, the perfume of the forest unmistakable even with his eyes still closed. Birds sang softly amid the trees, and somewhere close by there was another voice that joined them, a voice he recognized but could not believe he was hearing again.

"_Elen sila lumenn omentilmo_…" The voice lilted softly with the words, the greeting such a blessed change from the farewells he had heard before, the dying cries of his comrades. "_Nae saian luume'_…" He tried to chuckle, the irony of the words not escaping him even in his current state. "_Oio naa elealla alasse'_…" A hand alighted to the side of his face, the touch like that of a bird's feather against his battered skin. "_Cormamin lindua ele lle_…" The voice wavered slightly, choking off on the last word as the singer stopped abruptly. The hand shifted from his face to his shoulder, and he felt the faint brush of lips land against his forehead. "_Aaye_, Haldir, _Heruamin_…"

"I promised, did I not?" The words were spoken without the command to do so being given, and Haldir realized she had not been expecting it, because she jumped back as though burned, her hand flying from its perch on her shoulder. He willed his eyes open and found her wide silver eyes staring back at him. The world fell away in that moment, their surroundings now superficial as they looked at one another and could do nothing more than stare.

Tinuviel finally broke the silence, her voice less frail than it had been when she had sung to him. "Yes, you did."

"And here I am." He tried to smile, tried to take that fear out of her eyes, but he only succeeded in making the pain in his head worsen.

She finally snapped then, her face splitting into a grin as she descended on him, laughing till tears formed at the corners of her eyes and resting her forehead to his. "Please do not scare me like that again, Haldir… My heart cannot take it."

He let his eyes drink in the sight of her face, the shimmering eyes and bright smile, the laughter on her lips and the way her hair caught the light. "I will do my best not to." He promised softly, his tone sincere. "It did no good to my heart either, to say farewell."

She pulled back slightly, putting a little space between them, and chose her next words carefully. "Then, the solution would be to never say farewell again."

His eyes sparked, the hand closest to hers sliding sideways to twine their fingers together. "Aye, Tinuviel, I believe I could do that."

* * *

_See? Just needed to happen._

_Roughly translated, Tinuviel's song reads: "A star shall shine on the hour of our meeting... It has been too long... Ever is thy sight a joy... My heart sings to see thee... Hail, Haldir, my lord...". Had waaaay too much fun putting all that together. XD_

_Anywhozen. I know a few of you had asked for another chapter, so I hope you enjoyed it._

_I know I certainly did!_

* * *

Lord of the Rings and its related characters _belong to__:_ J.R.R. Tolkien_  
_

Tinuviel _belongs to: _Madam Sakamoto (aka Me)

_The song_ "You Know We're All So Fond Of Dying" _belongs to: _Children 18:3


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